Updates

This page tracks OEI’s progress as we develop our field experiences and supporting materials.

Updates focus on fieldwork, partnerships, and program development.

Two snorkelers swimming over a coral reef in clear blue water, with sunlight shining from above.

What you’ll find here

Two children, one with blonde hair and the other with curly brown hair, sitting on a weathered wooden dock looking into water under tangled mangrove tree roots and branches.

We share updates on:

  • fieldwork and site-based observations

  • development of virtual field experiences

  • progress on classroom materials

  • collaborations with scientists and local partners

  • program milestones

May 2026 — Finalizing Our First Field Experience, and OEI is Growing

In May, OEI continued development of its first virtual field experience based on fieldwork in the Bocas del Polochic preserve in Guatemala. Work has focused on organizing visual assets, shaping the story flow of the pilot, and building the first public‑facing pieces of the project, including introductory website and social media content….and learning! Lots of learning.

This stage of the work is helping establish a repeatable process for turning real field research into classroom‑ready virtual experiences. As the pilot takes shape, OEI is also refining how scenes, narration, and supporting materials can work together in a format that is practical for teachers and engaging for students.

We’ve also added a new Board member! We welcome our new Treasurer, Terri Merritt Bennett. Thank you so much for volunteering to help us build.

Latest updates

April 2026 — Development of First Field Experience Underway

Work is now focused on organizing field observations, building the structure of the experience, and developing the classroom materials that will support it.

Computer screen displaying video editing software with waveforms and timeline edits.
Aerial view of a lush green wetland with winding waterways and a distant shoreline under a partly cloudy sky.

March 2026 — Fieldwork Completed in Bocas del Polochic

OEI completed initial fieldwork in the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Bocas del Polochic in Guatemala.

This work included site-based observation, documentation of environmental conditions, and coordination with local partners. The material collected will form the foundation of OEI’s first virtual field experience.

Underwater scene with various fish swimming near coral and seaweed on the ocean floor.

December 2025 — Initial Field Documentation (Coral Reef Systems)

OEI conducted early field documentation related to coral reef ecosystems and fisheries.

This material will support a future field experience focused on reef systems, fish populations, and human-environment interactions.

Stay Connected

If you’d like updates on new field experiences and classroom materials, you can join the mailing list below.

OEI works with scientists, educators, and organizations to develop field-based learning experiences.

If you have a project, dataset, or location that could become part of a future field experience, we’d love to hear from you.

contact us
Split view of a mangrove forest, showing marine roots underwater and lush green trees above water.
A person wearing a sun hat and black gloves kneels in a mangrove complex, using a handheld device to examine sediment or soil among green marsh plants under a bright blue sky with clouds.
Two children sitting on a weathered wooden dock, looking into the water among mangrove roots. One girl has curly hair and is wearing a black t-shirt, and the other has straight blonde hair and is wearing a dark t-shirt with a cat graphic.
Two scuba divers underwater with one closer to the camera and bubbles rising above. The closer diver is wearing full scuba gear, including mask, regulator, and fins.
A scuba diver in purple wetsuit exploring coral reef underwater.